Air tram system of transportation



Dec. l0, E935.

.1E jj 18 15 J. B. STRAUSS AIR TRAM SYSTEM OF TRANSPORTATION Filed Aug. 3, 1951 Patented Dec. 10, 1935 UNlTED STATES 'EENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to airtram systems of transportation and has for its object to provide a new and improved system of this description. The invention has as a further object to provide an airtram system particularly adapted for intercity transportation. The invention has as a further object to provide an airtram system having separated posts connected together at their top by portal girders through the agency of which the cars are suspended. The invention .has as a iurther 'object to provide an airtram system with outside posts and suspended cars ruiming near the ground. The invention has other objects which are more particularly pointed out in the accompanying description.

Referring now to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a View of one form of airtram system embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the lateral bracing system and with the tops of the U portals removed;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the central main girder showing the bracket connections; and

Fig. 4 is a View of the means of connecting the brackets and main girders with the posts.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several iigures.

Referring now to the drawing, the construction comprises a series of posts at intervals, separated just far enough to clear the car. When two tracks are arranged side by side, the intermediate posts act for both tracks. I have shown such a construction in the drawing, wherein there are a series of posts I, 2 and 3 at suitable intervals.

The posts are connected together at their tops by portal girders, which I have termed U-portals.

In the construction shown each post I has connected therewith a laterally projecting cantilever bracket 4. The post 2 has the laterally projecting cantilever brackets 5 and 6, and the postl 3 has the laterally projecting cantilever bracket 'I.

The brackets li and 5 have a space between them.

On the adjacent ends of the brackets 4 and 5 are the track supporting stringers 8 carrying the rails 8a for the trucks, and on the adjacent ends of the brackets 6 and 'I are the track supporting stringers 9 carrying the rails 9d.

Mounted upon the bracket d is the angle member I0, and mounted upon the bracket 5 is the angle member I I. These angle members meet at I2 and are connnected together and form a U portal projecting above the to-ps of the vertical posts. These angle members have the openings I3 and I4 for conduits, wires, etc. The ends of the brackets II and 5 project beyond the angle members III and II, as shown. It will be understood that there are a series of these U-portals at proper intervals, each U-portal having an open passageway therethrough ior the trucks which run on the rails 6a. Mounted upon the bracket 6 5 is the angle member I5, and mounted upon the bracket 'I is the angle member IB, their adjacent ends being connected together at I'I. These brackets form a similar U-portal and have the openings i8 and I9 for conduits, wires, etc. They 10 also have the open passageways therethrough for the trucks.

Mounted within the open passageways through these U-portals are the trucks 2U, by means of which the cars 2i are suspended through the 15 agency of the connecting member or hanger connection 22. It is understood that there are a series of these U-portals and associated parts separated at proper distances, the rails being supported thereby. 20

The posts, in addition to being connected transversely at their tops by the special type of bolster girder above described, that is by the U-portals, are connected longitudinally by the carrying or longitudinal girders 23, 24 and 25. 25

In Fig. 1 I have illustrated the construction at a point where it crosses highways, railways and the like. In this construction the posts I, 2 and 3 are made longer and are further connected crosswise by the connecting members 26 and 2'I. This 30 gives ample space below the cars for the vehicles on the highways or railways and makes a construction where there is no interference between the airtram ways and these highways and railways. 35

At the points where there are no crossroads or railroads, the posts will be shorter, being of sucient length to keep the bottom of the cars from striking the ground, and in that event the braces 25 and 21 will be omitted. The bottom 40 faces of the cantilever brackets 4, 5, 6 and I are inclined upwardly from the posts toward the rails, this construction giving more room for the cars. There is provided a longitudinal lateral system for bracing and strengthening the construction 45 arranged so as not to interfere with the trucks or cars.

I have illustrated one form of this lateral system of bracing in Fig. 2, and to simplify the construction have only illustrated it in connection 50 with one set of posts I and 2, it being understood that a similar bracing would be provided between posts 2 and 3. This bracing is shown as being in the plane of the track stringers 8 and consist of the members 28 which extend diagonally or 55 at an angle between the cantilever brackets the track stringers 8 and the longitudinal girders 23. Similar lateral bracing members 2S are arranged between the cantilever brackets Il, the track stringers 8 and the longitudinal girders 24.

It will be seen that by means of this construction the U-portals have an open space within them wider than the space between the cantilever members or brackets, and that whereas the structure is braced both transversely and longitudinally, there are still provided three continuous passageways, as it were, one through the U- portals for the trucks, one between the posts for the cars hung below the rails, and one between the cantilever brackets for the hangers connecting the cars to the trucks.

I claim:

1. An air tram system of transportation comprising vertical posts at intervals, longitudinal girders connected to the tops of said posts, cantilever brackets projecting inwardly from said posts with their adjacent ends separated by a space, U portals projecting above the tops of the vertical posts and having their ends supported upon said cantilever brackets, said U portals having an open space therethrough for the passage of trucks, a series of similar U portals connecting the longitudinal girders at intervals and projecting above them, the open spaces between the inner faces of the U portals being wider than the open spaces between the ends of the cantilever brackets, and a pair of track rails supported on said cantilever brackets within the U opening of the U portals. Y

2. An airtram system of transportation comprising vertical posts at intervals, longitudinal girders connecting the tops of said posts, transverse U-portals projecting above the tops of the vertical posts and having an open central space within them, a series of similar U-portals connecting the longitudinal girders at intervals and projecting above them, cantilever brackets at the bottom of said U-portals projecting under and beyond the open space of the portals and with an open space between the ends of said cantilever brackets, the open spaces between the inner faces of the U portals being wider than the open space between the ends of the cantilever brackets and rail girders mounted at the inner ends of said brackets and extending from bracket to bracket.

3. An airtram system of transportation comprising vertical posts at intervals, longitudinal girders connecting said posts at their tops, transverse U-portals projecting above the tops of the vertical posts and having an open space therethrough for the passage of trucks, said U portals cantilevered to said posts by cantilever brackets connected with the posts and projecting inwardly with a space between their adjacent ends, the width of the open space through the U portals being greater than the width of the space between the ends of the cantilever brackets, a series of similar U-portals connecting the longitudinal girders at intervals and projecting above them, said U- portals made in two sections meeting at the top and connected together toform a unitary stable structure.

4. An airtram system of transportation comprising vertical posts at intervals, longitudinal girders connecting them together, U-portals projecting above the tops of the vertical posts intermediate members connecting the U portals to 'said posts with their ends projecting inwardly towards each other and with a space between said ends, the U portals having openings therethrough which are Wider than the space between the ends of said intermediate members, a series of similar U-portals connecting the longitudinal girders at intervals and projecting above them, 5 said U-portals having an open passageway therethrough supporting members at the bottom of said open passageway supported by said posts, and a pair of track stringers supported on said members at the bottom of said open passageway, 10 said first mentioned U-shaped portals supported by said supporting members.

5. An airtram system of transportation comprising vertical posts at intervals, longitudinal girders connected with the tops of said posts and 15 connecting them together, transverse cantilever brackets also connected to said posts at their tops and to said girders at intervals, said brackets projecting toward each other but not meeting so as to leave an open space at the center between 20 the ends thereof, a U-portal mounted upon the tops of said brackets and connecting them together and having an open space between the inside faces thereof, the two posts and girders forming a unitary stable structure, the open space 25 between the inside faces of the U-portal wider than the open space between the ends' of the cantilever brackets.

6. An airtram system of transportation comprising vertical posts at intervals, longitudinal 30 girders connected with the topsofsaidposts,trans verse cantilever brackets connected to said posts at their tops and to said girders at intervals, said brackets projecting toward each other with an open space between their adjacent ends, U-portal 33 girders mounted upon the tops of said brackets and connecting them together to form a unitary stable supporting structure the U portals having an open space through which trucks pass, said open space being wider than the open space o between the open ends of the cantilever brackets, track girders mounted upon the transverse cantilever brackets, there being an open space between 'the cantilever brackets, the track girders and the U-portals. t

7. An airtram system of transportation comprising vertical posts at intervals, longitudinal girders connecting the tops of said posts, U-portals projecting above the tops of the vertical posts and connecting thereto, said portals having bot- 50 tom members cut through at the center, a series of similar U-portals connecting the longitudinal girders at intervals and projecting above them, bottom members connected thereto, a pair of track stringers supported on the bottom membersV of said U-portals and a longitudinal lateral bracing system in the plane of the track stringers and extending between the longitudinal stringers and the track stringers.

8. An airtram system of transportation, a series 60 of one center and two side posts in line at intervals, a series of longitudinal girders connected with said posts at their tops, a series of U-portals connected with the posts and similar U-portals o' connecting the longitudinal girders at intervals, said U-portals projecting above the tops of the posts and the tops of the longitudinal girders, the U-portals connecting the three posts transversely to form a unitary stable carrying structure, the U- portals having projecting cantalever sections at the bottom with an open space between their inner ends, track stringers connected therewith, the U-portals having an open space withinthem Y Wider than the space between the ends of the cantalever members, a longitudinal lateral bracing system between the longitudinal girders and the track stringers, whereby trucks carrying suspended cars may operate simultaneously on either side of the center posts.

9. In an airtram system of transportation, vertical posts at intervals, longitudinal girders connected to the tops of said posts, U-portals connected to said posts and similar U-portals connecting the longitudinal girders and projecting above them, said U-portals having a lower section comprising two cantalever members projecting toward each other but not meeting so as to provide a space between them, there being an open space in said U-portal wider than the space between the ends of the cantalever sections, rail girders mounted upon the inner ends of said cantalever sections, the bottom faces of the cantalever sections inclined upward and trucks mounted upon said rail girders, and cars hung from said trucks and operating in the clear space between the limits of the vertical posts and the inclined bottoms of the cantalever sections.

10. In an airtram system of transportation, a series of vertical posts, longitudinal girders connected with said posts at their tops, U-portals connected to said posts and similar U-portals connecting said longitudinal girders and projecting above them, said U-portals mounted on cantalever brackets carried by said posts and having their opposed ends separated so as to leave an open space between them, rail girders mounted on the inner ends of said cantalever brackets, lateral bracing between the longitudinal girders and the rail girders whereby the structure is braced both transversely and longitudinally while still providing a plurality of continuous passageways, one through the U-portals, one between the posts for a car hung below the .rail girders and one between the cantalever brackets for a hanger connecting the car to the truck.

JOSEPH B. STRAUSS. 

